Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria

The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria (DSCV) can help you resolve a wide range of disputes without having to resort to taking legal action.

Mediation is a free, confidential process where parties try to resolve their issues with the help of a trained, impartial mediator.

If a dispute cannot be resolved through discussions between you, the other party and DSCV, we also offer a free mediation service. Our Dispute Assessment Officers (DAOs) will explain this process to each party.

Mediation involves a meeting conducted by a trained and accredited mediator who is impartial. Mediations are confidential and participation is voluntary for all participants.

Mediations can usually be arranged within a fortnight, depending on availability of all parties. It will be at a location that is most convenient to all parties.

Melbourne enquiries

Phone: 1300 372 888

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Regional enquiries

Neighbour disputes rise during pandemic

FITNESS fanatics slamming medicine balls on the floor, noisy kids disturbing neighbours trying to work, and delivery drivers blocking driveways are sparking suburban spats as Victorians spend more time at home.

Neighbours behaving badly, annoying animals and even trampolines have residents at loggerheads.

The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria dealt with more than 21,000 disputes last financial year, and two-thirds were neighbourhood issues.

Complaints about behaviour , property and pets rose slightly in the July quarter, which included the first lockdown . Fitness enthusiasts working out at home, especially in flats, had neighbours at their wits' end. Noise from people running on treadmills and slamming weights and medicine balls on the floor were among complaints.

People converting their garages into gyms to exercise at home or conduct personal training businesses in person or via Zoom - all while blasting loud music - also caused COVID quarrels.

Music teachers conducting online classes including singing lessons from their homes also hit a sour note.

Lawyer Michael Helman, whose clients include a resident working from home who endured noisy renovations in the flat below, said "all the problems you would normally have of people being in close proximity are obviously going to be magnified" .

"In my experience in neighbourhood disputes the only way to satisfactorily resolve it is if one of the neighbours moves," Mr Helman said.

"Neighbourhood disputes can be almost impracticable."

Essential workers including nurses doing night shift complained they could not sleep during the day because neighbours and their children were home all day.

Some people were forced to negotiate noise-free times with neighbours so they could conduct work meetings without interruptions - like children playing basketball against shared boundary walls.

"It's been an incredibly challenging 12 months but Victorians continue to demonstrate great resolve and companionship despite the challenges of lockdown and spending more time at home,'' a Department of Justice spokesman said.

"The focus of the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria has been to help people have that difficult conversation with their neighbour in a less confrontational way."

Almost half of all disputes involved fences with residents seeking advice on making them higher to block out nosy neighbours working from home.

There was also a jump in queries about dealing with neighbour's trees as people spent more time gardening.

One client complained about his neighbour's new trampoline concerned it was unsuitable for a small backyard in a high density area.

Home shopping and other delivery drivers, often in noisy trucks or on motorbikes, blocking common driveways also created angst.

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❊ Web Links ❊

➼ Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria 

➼ www.disputes.vic.gov.au






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